BBC Poll Says 'US is bigger threat than terror'

[350HP930]

If this is what most of the world thinks thank god that our government is telling us that the majority of the iraqis love the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3613217.stm

'US is bigger threat than terror'

Globalisation and the US pose a more serious threat to the world than war and terrorism, according to a BBC poll.

52% said the US and globalisation was the most serious threat.

Corruption came second on a list of the biggest problems facing the world, the survey of BBC viewers worldwide found.

Conflicts - war and terrorism - ranked third, with 50%, followed by hunger, 49%, and climate change with 44%.

BBC World asked 1,500 viewers of its news and international channel for the biggest problems in the world with 52% saying the US and globalisation.

We were a little surprised that global superpowers and corruption were ranked top but we will track whether they are gaining from topical interest or are of greater long-term significance

BBC World Respondents from Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia, ranked the power of the US and large corporations as the biggest worry (52.3%).

BBC World's head of research and planning Jeremy Nye said: "We were a little surprised that global superpowers and corruption were ranked top but we will track whether they are gaining from topical interest or are of greater long-term significance."

Wars and terrorism were ranked as the top concerns in Europe and the Middle East despite ranking third overall.

Illiteracy was ranked sixth overall with 38% followed by nuclear proliferation, also 38%, and the persecution of minorities with 36%.

Lack of drinking water and basic sanitation was ranked 12th, with 20%, while 16% rated migration as the most important problem.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Well, if the BBC says it, it must be true ... esp. given the worldwide reach of the BBC's audience, and the fact that they depend on the BBC to tell them what's what.

Hey -- if we're the biggest threat to tyranny and oppression, I can sleep well tonight. In fact, I think I will right now.

JP

[fintstone]

Sounds like good news to me!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Ooh, ooh, I hate America too! Especially since I've seen how sophisticated the rest of the world is, what with their open sewers, parasite-ridden water, and hole-in-the-ground toilets.

[fintstone]

Yep, sorta makes one proud! They are less afraid of drinking their toilet water than they are of us! Of course they did only poll BBC World viewers. They may not have known what big words like sanitation meant. Everyone can spell USA!

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
Well, if the BBC says it, it must be true ... esp. given the worldwide reach of the BBC's audience, and the fact that they depend on the BBC to tell them what's what.

Hey -- if we're the biggest threat to tyranny and oppression, I can sleep well tonight. In fact, I think I will right now.

JP

JP I'm a little dissapointed...there is no claim of "truth", merely an opinion poll of people's perceptions. You can attack the merit (or lack thereof) of the methods, and discuss bias, but to fall back on the old "well if xxx says it, it must be true" saw is just plain lazy. Shame on you.

When you're top dog most people want to be like you (and consume your cultural output), and hate you at the same time. No suprise. But it is helpful to know how your country plays outside the borders I think. Too often we take cultural gaps for granted and make poor choices...

[dd74]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
...and hole-in-the-ground toilets.

I pissed in one of these, once, in Deruda outside of Florence Italy. Nearly ruined a good pair of Hush Puppies, cursed in German, then promptly went and bought some Ponte Vecchio Italian china.

Hole-in-the-ground-heads aren't too bad as long as one spreads their feet. Now if they're of the "squatting type" persuasion, well...

[350HP930]

We all know that europe hates us cause we are free and rich, not cause we are stoking the fires of a major conflict right next door to them.

[joeclarke]

JP I'm a little dissapointed...there is no claim of "truth", merely an opinion poll of people's perceptions. You can attack the merit (or lack thereof) of the methods, and discuss bias, but to fall back on the old "well if xxx says it, it must be true" saw is just plain lazy. Shame on you.

...aw, that's just JP's usual debating style. First thing he does in the face of any opposing argument or piece of information is to throw down a trail of sarcasm in an attempt to discredit the source of the dissenting information rather than meaningfully engage the information itself.

It's debating 101 and works well with those not sophisticated enough to see through it. (Fortunately that does not include many on this board). JP's eloquence and knowledge serve him particularily well in this regard however, as these attributes give rise to the credibility of his sarcastic disdain without requiring him to actually provide a rational counter-argument.

As is common in arguments from the extremes of the right-wing, rigorous trails of logic, data, references and quotes are used as a smoke screen to fearmongering, whereas equivalently referenced data from the more reasonable elements amongst us are lightly swept aside with a sardonic and/or sarcastic brush.

But then I've allowed my Mensa membership to lapse, so maybe I'm not up to date on the latest tactics of the genius crowd. Not that I would ever stoop to such lowly debating techniques.

On the other hand...

[jazzbass]

"52% said the US and globalisation was the most serious threat."

I wonder how many of these people could explain why globalization is a threat? This is the latest buzzword for the America-hating masses, both in America and Europe. But pin one down and ask why globalization is bad and you never get an answer other than "because it is". No economics, no political science arguments, nothing.

[ronin]

Originally posted by nostatic
JP I'm a little dissapointed...there is no claim of "truth", merely an opinion poll of people's perceptions. You can attack the merit (or lack thereof) of the methods, and discuss bias, but to fall back on the old "well if xxx says it, it must be true" saw is just plain lazy. Shame on you.

When you're top dog most people want to be like you (and consume your cultural output), and hate you at the same time. No suprise. But it is helpful to know how your country plays outside the borders I think. Too often we take cultural gaps for granted and make poor choices...

tsk tsk, and surprised am in in you, Todd. just because the BBC is merely reorting this so-called "poll" doesn't take away the responsibility of the BBC to evaluate opinion based on fact. I mean, what type of threat does the US actually constitute? a threat to terrorism? (o.k., an easy one) a threat to famine? a threat to disease? a threat to oppression? (another default, but true nonetheless) ad infinitum...

remember, these opinion polls are worth about their weight in toilet paper, as opinions are like a$$oles; we all have one and they all stink

[ubiquity0]

That poll is pointless. They might as well just ask:

'Do you prefer:
a/ the color blue & smeared dog crap
b/ the color yellow & fresh strawberries'

Hmmm… I wonder what the result would be. Maybe, just maybe the majority may prefer yellow.

[ronin]

Originally posted by joeclarke

As is common in arguments from the extremes of the right-wing, rigorous trails of logic, data, references and quotes are used as a smoke screen to fearmongering, whereas equivalently referenced data from the more reasonable elements amongst us are lightly swept aside with a sardonic and/or sarcastic brush.

if this is true, it would seem that the "extremes of the right-wing" have taken a page directly out of the whiny liberal "can't argue with facts so I have to resort to petty insults and meaningless diatribe" handbook and used it effectively against them. oh the irony!

they're on to you...

RUN!!

[thunderdenton]

These numbers are worthless in the quoted article. One has to have the full poll (including questions) to see how valuable it really is...

For instance I am finding over 143% (impossible) in the following:

52% said the US and globalisation was the most serious threat.

Corruption came second on a list of the biggest problems facing the world, the survey of BBC viewers worldwide found.

Conflicts - war and terrorism - ranked third, with 50%, followed by hunger, 49%, and climate change with 44%.

This reporting is horrible. They do not even give a link to the full poll!

[joeclarke]

if this is true, it would seem that the "extremes of the right-wing" have taken a page directly out of the whiny liberal "can't argue with facts so I have to resort to petty insults and meaningless diatribe" handbook and used it effectively against them. oh the irony!

...yep love those hawkish factoids:

(1) Iraq link to terror.
(2) Iraq possesses WMDs - will use them at will to destroy the US, attack us in our sleep and eat our children while they're at it. (Ok - I'm taking license here)
(3) "They" just hate us because we're rich and they want what we have.
(4) "They" hate us because their evil leaders fill their heads with hatred about us and they are too ill-informed to think for themselves.
(5) Eventually they will thank us for ridding them of their evil governments.
(6) Iraq is NOT Vietnam.

as opposed to that "liberal meaningless diatribe":

(1) 10,000 dead Iraqis.
(2) 600 + dead Americans.
(3) de-stabilized civilization in Iraq.

Which of those arguments sounds more based on pragmatism and fact vs interpretation and whimsey?

[jazzbass]

Originally posted by ubiquity0
That poll is pointless. They might as well just ask:

'Do you prefer:
a/ the color blue & smeared dog crap
b/ the color yellow & fresh strawberries'

Hmmm… I wonder what the result would be. Maybe, just maybe the majority may prefer yellow.

Very good point, and funny too.

[tabs]

I don't see the problem with the poll...it maybe all true...so what....all I have to say is 2 little words....PAX AMERICANA....

[tabs]

BTW...U whining Liberals eat your breakfasts, lunch and dinner because the US government ensures it, and US based corporations makes it possible...so as I see it whining Liberals are biting the hand that feeds them...instead of getting down on the ground and saying thank Gawd for what you have..otherwise you'd all be pissing and *****ting into a hole in the ground like the rest of the world does...

[nostatic]

Originally posted by ronin
tsk tsk, and surprised am in in you, Todd. just because the BBC is merely reorting this so-called "poll" doesn't take away the responsibility of the BBC to evaluate opinion based on fact.

Now now...I didn't say I agreed with the poll, but rather was just taking JP to task for not putting his usual time and effort into his debunkery. After all, what are we paying him for, anyway?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by tabs
and US based corporations makes it possible...

And if it weren't for the whining liberals you would have entered the workforce at age 7 for 10 cents and hour, 12 hours a day, and been beaten senseless if you complained. If you were injured on the job, you would have been thrown out on the street and replaced with another fungible child labor unit. The waste from the factory in which you worked would be dumped in the stream behind your house. (Remember - labor and environmental regulations put downward pressure on corporate profits.) You wouldn't have a say in things because you wouldn't be able to vote unless you were a rich white christian landowner. You wouldn't be allowed to smoke, drink or gamble, because the conservative christian right would have outlawed them.